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1880
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Navy stockpiles coal on harbor shoreline from 1880 to 1920. |
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1900
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Population size in territory: 5,679. Size in 2005: 62,000. |
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1941
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Build-up of Navy base in harbor. |
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1947
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USS Chehalis sinks at fuel dock and may still have fuel load aboard. |
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1954
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Van Camp tuna cannery built in harbor. |
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1963
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Starkist tuna cannery built in harbor. |
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1973
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Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge estab.; PO in 1975 expands seaward boundary to 3 miles. |
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1974
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American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) established. |
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1978
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Tutuila hit hard by crown-of-thorns starfish invasion; massive mortality of corals. |
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1980
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Coastal Zone Management program established; enacted in 1990 (PL 21-35) |
|
1981
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Cyclone Esau |
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1982
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Nutrient levels from cannery effluent in harbor exceed ASEPA levels from 1982 to 1991. |
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1985
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Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary established. |
|
1986
|
Department of Marine & Wildlife Resources established (originally the Office of MWR). |
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1987
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Cyclone Tusi (January 19); Manu'a heavily impacted. |
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1988
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National Park of American Samoa established (PL 100-571); lease agreement signed in 1993. |
|
1988
|
Public
Notification & Review System (PNRS) established to coordinate multi-agency
reviews of land-use applications in territory. |
|
1988
|
Tuna canneries required to transport high-nutrient wastes daily to dump zone 5 miles offshore. |
|
1990
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Cyclone Ofa (Feb. 3-4) |
|
1990
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Natural Resources Commission established for local endangered species (PL 21-39) but inactive. |
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1991
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Cyclone Val (Dec. 6-10); major impact to buildings, rainforests, birds, bats, coral reefs. |
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1991
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Hunting banned to allow birds and fruit bats recover after cyclones (ban still in place in 2005) |
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1991
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Canneries required to stop wastewater discharge in inner harbor; effluent now piped to outer harbor. |
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1992
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Rats eradicated at Rose Atoll due to their adverse impact on native flora and fauna. |
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1993
|
Longliner Jin Shiang Fa ran aground at Rose Atoll, spilling full fuel load, with long-term impacts. |
|
1993
|
Taro blight (a fungus) wipes out local taro crop. Resistant strains imported from Palau. |
|
1994
|
Widespread warm-water bleaching of corals in territory. |
|
1994
|
Vaoto Marine Park estab. (PL 23-13, 18.0214) as compensation for dredging Faleasao harbor. |
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1994
|
Sewage treatment plants in Tafuna & Utulei upgraded to increase primary treatment capacity. |
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1995
|
Governor's interagency Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) established. |
|
2000
|
9 shipwrecks from cyclone in 1991 were removed from harbor reefs. |
|
2000
|
Task Force on Population Growth produces report on unsustainable growth rate in A.Samoa. |
|
2000
|
Collection of "live rock" (corals fragments) was banned to allow reef recovery (EO 002-2000). |
|
2000
|
Governor Sunia directs CRAG to establish 20% of territory’s coral reefs as Marine Protected Areas. |
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2001
|
Use of scuba gear while fishing was banned because reefs are overfished (EO 002-2001). |
|
2002
|
Sea Grant program established at American Samoa Community College. |
|
2002
|
Widespread warm-water bleaching of corals in territory. |
|
2003
|
Widespread warm-water bleaching of corals in territory. |
|
2003
|
Sea turtle & marine mammal sanctuary established in all territorial waters, 0-3 mi (EO 005-2003). |
|
2003
|
Ocean
Resource Management Process established to coordinate nearshore, harbor,
offshore, and watershed management plans (EO 004-2003). |
|
2003
|
Shark finning (taking fins only) was banned in territorial waters (EO 066-2003). |
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2004
|
Cyclone Heta (Jan. 4-5); moderate damage to buildings, forests and coral reefs. |
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2005
|
Cyclone Olaf (Feb. 16); this Category 5 cyclone slammed directly into Manu’a.. |
NATURAL HISTORY GUIDE